It is with great interest that I have been following the careers of Eugene Terre’Blanche and Julius Malema. In some ways, both of them remind me of the bad things that we have tried to put behind us in this country.
They both remind me of children who, in their frustration to get their points across, shout at each other louder and louder, with both not hearing what the other has to say.
And when they are not able to get their points across, they resort to calling each other names.
According to the Sunday Times, Terre’Blanche said at an AWB meeting last week: “They are the lawless people, the members of the government of the ANC … people like Malema who are provoking a revolution against the white people.”
Malema is reported to have said in response that Terre’Blanche “does not deserve to be among us. That one deserves to rot in jail. Even his horse at some point rejected him”.
I have been trying to look beyond what has been reported in the media about Malema’s statements, to try and get a sense of what he really means. Sometimes, I can see what he means but the way he puts it across only serves to alienate a large chunk of the South African population.
I have also tried to understand what Terre’Blanche is trying to say and I must admit I find it more difficult to make sense of what he is saying.
But ultimately, both of them are making more and more noise and, in the process, getting hotter and hotter under their respective collars.
This is the best breeding ground for radicalism, when you argue like this without listening to each other. Can we even imagine what South Africa would have been like if the apartheid government had listened to Nelson Mandela and his comrades instead of throwing them into jail?
Their oppression of the ANC led to the ANC taking up arms against them, leading to significant losses of life on both sides. If only they had decided to talk to each other instead of each one trying to prove a point, things might have been different.
I would like to put Malema and Terre’Blanche in a room and get them to talk to each other. I would ask Terre’Blanche why he dislikes blacks so much and I would ask Malema why he always feels that black people are victims.
Surely not everything that gets done to a black person is because s/he is black.
So Jackie Selebi is not being prosecuted because he is black. He is being prosecuted because there is evidence to suggest that he might have been corrupt.
Malema’s use of the race card in defence of Selebi has the danger of painting all black people with the same brush.
In the same way, Terre’Blanche trying to fire up whites to “resist” the ANC government is not serving anyone’s interest but a small group of misguided people who hope to bring back the past. They need to accept that the past is behind us and we need to find ways in which we can live together rather than fight each other.
I just wish that we could reach a point in this country when we realise that there are good black people as well as bad black people. In the same way, there are good white people and bad white people. But not all black people are good or bad, and not all white people are good or bad.
As long as we have people like Malema and Terre’Blanche, there will always be room for extremists to exploit. This is the best breeding ground for radicalism.
Fisher
“Malema’s use of the race card in defence of Selebi has the danger of painting all black people with the same brush.”
Hey, don’t you dare get ahead of your feet! If you wanna start playing the blame game, perhaps you should go no further than the mother body of this platform, M&G…or, simple, go to the SAPA, Avusa, Primedia or Media24 guys: the, when you arrive there, ask them to stop nickpicking what Malema says.. You wanna hear it all. Tell them straight that their sensationalism is likely to take our country behind.
“I would like to put Malema and Terre’Blanche in a room and get them to talk to each other”_wow who would wanna miss that show_count me in. intresting article Mr. Fisher. we really need people like you to really encourage pleople to improsen their minds from the “metal slavery” to world of good minds. the struggle that we needle to embark upon is that of the “evolution of our consciousness”. aluta continua!
Malema loves publicity. He often gets it even when he does not deserve it. There are as many opinion pieces on him as there are news reports quoting him. Oho! and a book nogal. If he is such a moron (who spews inexplicable stuff), why is it compelling to write about him?
Rubbish Malema expresses our fears, views and aspirations. Terre Blance yours, period!!
“In the same way, there are good white people and bad white people. But not all black people are good or bad, and not all white people are good or bad.”
Wow! Amazing revelation, Ryland? We are only at this early stage of our political evolution and yet you want us, as per your previous blog, to do away with racial categories? Sounds like you may be coming down with a case of amnesia that afflicts a certain minority wants to pretend that apartheid never happened.
What a great piece!
I reckon most in SA believe ET is a racist bigot and a radical. I am not so sure about Malema.
After all ET is a leader of a radical right wing group (which very few Afrikaners even take seriously) and Malema is the president of the ruling party’s youth organisation.
I don’t see the equivalence and I think it is dangerous to be so politically correct/dismissive to try and equate Malema and ET.
A lot of people take Malema’s ranting seriously and he talks from a far more significant and influential pedestal.
If he is such a clown and politically damaging, why does the ANC keep on giving him a platform to speak freely?
I am not sure we can just brush Malema aside in the same fashion as ET.
I agree both are fueling the racial fires but surely you attach more significance on this rhetoric coming from a member of the ruling party?
Themba? Terreblanche does not speak for me. How dare you.
I’ve been an ANC member longer than you’ve been alive. I didn’t suddenly become white in 1991.
If Oliver Tambo or Walter Sisulu were alive they’d have had Malema expelled from the party by now. Malema has no dignity and no grasp of complexity. Power is more important to him than a non-racial, democratic nation.
free speech is great but it’s best when it comes after some free thought . It is clear that Themba has not read the article at all, I am dying to hear his comments once he has, because I think Malema does sometimes express the rightful aspirations of the poorest south africans among other things. but please Themba read the article first and then contribute otherwise you end up sounding like malema on a bad day
What is Julius Malema’s dilemma?
http://richmarksentinel.com/rs_articles.asp?catid=2&recid=661
What would happen if for 3 months we ignored both, Malema and ET? I think they’d simmer down and find something else (hopefully useful) to do with their time. This is not funny anymore, we i.e. every South African that reads and blogs on a stupid Malema/ET story, is creating the danger by continuously giving these two the limelight. If extremism grows, it’s because we, the general South African public, have created the perfect conditions for it to flourish by idolizing it.
Its just amazing how many people are blaming ET & JM. I praise both of them because they reflect the reality of this rainbow nation. it is actually true that we cannot be a rainbow nation over night.
We can’t expect miracles. the whole society is rotten to the core and full of hatred. Why blame them where as u guys are as bad as them ?
ur all bunch of hypocrites.
Some right racist drivel is spewed on this site. So everyone now thinks that they can determine someone’s race because of a thumbnail picture, a name or how someone writes? Yes indeed, that was aimed at some of our commentards. You guys are even better at this than the old Home Affairs with their pencils. In those days you actually had to go to the office to see. Wow.
And no, ET doesn’t speak for me and I’d be amazed if he spoke for Ryland Fisher or even too many of the paler commentards on these blogs. If he is by some miracle, he’s probably talking for Phillipa (definitely her, she’s way whiter than me or so she claims) and Dave Harris though if I can use other people’s presumed race as a convenient illogical jump.
Don’t trip over your feet on the way out to your spokesperson Lekota, guys (no, not you, Pip and Dave, it’s off to the lekgotla with ET for you).
What????? Lekota doesn’t speak for all black people? He’s a member of a minority party that barely had a show in the elections? Well, imagine how little ET speaks for anyone then, those broers aren’t even anyone’s elected representatives.
For all Julius’s perceived faults, at least he was elected and can honestly claim he speaks for someone.
@Siphiwo Siphiwo
As usual, we can always count on you for an unintelligent contribution
@ Halu
SPOT ON!!!
Malema and Oom Terreblanche are not speaking the same language don’t be so selective it bother on ignorance. Malema says unity of the nation should not compromise the Afrikan, Oom Eugene says all black people should be killed before they kill white people. Stop your anti-Malema agenda. The more you make people think he is a sub-human the more people elevate him to a ‘leader’ status(Remember Zuma was unrecognisable until a campaign was launched to destroy his political career)
Now i don’t really think there is a problem with differing views.
Ok don’t be quoting me RichSentinel we all know its where the ‘coconuts’ and the Bullards have a jol!!!
Madness – both the “gentlemen” speak but for the sake of getting their face/voice seen and head. The more outragious the better. The problem is that they both seem to have people that believe what they say. So not reporting and critisising their drivel will not help. The main stream of people who try and make a go of this country should speak out and call them to task for failing to get ideas across instead of the racist chant from both sides for everything that is perceived against their group/race.
White and black, those guys are not the sort to want to talk to each other at all, they prefer to take cheap shots at each other.
Of course, one solution would be to give ET his own not-so-Bantu homeland, but experience has proved that JM would not appreciate the same; he’s shooting for the entire pie.
And it wasn’t long ago that many were terrified that someone else who seemed to talk a load of drivel might get the pie. He now has it. At least he’s now more circumspect.
I like the objective views of the article, it brings hope to our society.
Oh, How I wish the two radicals could read this.
at this stage Terre Blanche personifies white supremecy(more like hate) while Julius Malema personifies stupid(not apublic speaker).
Yet I dont believe either is an idiot nor stupid; they get people to talk and try to see what they actually meant.
Malema interprets like a child. He sits with an individual discussing an issue and later turns around towards the media/public and makes statements not meant for the masses. e.g. He recently made a comment about the IFP President Buthelezi – what came out was disrespect. Is this how the youth is expected to behave(he is after the ANCYL).
I firmly put the blame on my ruling Party(ANC) for not calling him to order. He is correct in conversing about matters that affect the Youth yet he should be called to order when disrespectful. Zuma and Gwede Mantashe are his leaders respectively and should educate him to respect the elders.
Terre Blanhe on the other hand does not deserve to be mentioned at all.
There is vast difference between the two.
Malema’s victim card is used in the wrong context. You have done more damage to the youth of SA.
I adore Juliuuuus… he is def. a D.A. sectret weapon!